Thanks for Raising My Taxes — What Else Can I Do for You?

When Wisconsin Democrats fled the state in order to avoid voting on splendiferous public sector union contracts, did they happen to notice that the rest of the country is in the midst of a massive recession?

For years, Democrats have been using taxpayer money so that their buddies in public sector unions never have to know when there’s a recession. People who are already suffering have to suffer more so that those who are doing pretty well don’t have to suffer at all.

The high salaries and magnificent benefits paid to government employees are used to fund the public sector unions, which then funnel a portion of that money back to the Democrats, who vote for the pay packages of government workers. The unions function as a pass-through from the taxpayers straight to Democrats running for re-election.

As a result, taxpayers are paying people to continually raise their taxes.

In 2010, three of the five top campaign contributors to the Democrats were public sector unions. Service Employees International was No. 2 at $11.6 million in campaign contributions to Democrats, the National Education Association was No. 3 at $8 million, and the American Federation of Teachers was No. 5 at $7 million. (To put that in perspective, that’s even more than the $1 million given to Obama in 2008 by his second-largest contributor, Goldman Sachs!)

Liberals don’t love big government because they think it’s efficient, compassionate, fair or even remotely useful. They support big government because they are guaranteed the support of nearly everyone who works for the government.

Public sector employee contracts are written by the union and rubber-stamped by Democrats — and the taxpayers only find out years later that public school teachers are allowed to get a full year’s pay for 30 days’ work over three years after they retire — as is the case in Green Bay, Wis., where one out of every 12 teachers retired this year to take advantage of the “emeritus” scam.

This is what all the commotion is about in Wisconsin. Republican Gov. Scott Walker isn’t even trying to eliminate collective bargaining for government workers’ salaries. He only wants to eliminate collective bargaining over their conditions of employment, which has led to massive inefficiencies.

Thanks to union grievance procedures, the union representing school crossing guards filed a formal complaint over a sweet old man volunteering to get the kids across the street in Wausau, Wis. Warren Eschenbach, an 86-year-old retiree, had been volunteering each morning as a crossing guard at a school near his home. But according to the union, only a highly paid government employee should be permitted to do that job.

A Wall Street Journal editorial today says that it looks like the unions have a victory in Wisconsin since they may have managed to elect a judge who favors them, and would swing court decisions 4/3 in their favor (against Scott Walker).
People have a tendency to make a virtue out of their short-term self interest, and the public unions are no different. Like any welfare recipient, or subsidized green energy company or whatever, they are dependent on government for their salaries, and will vote their self-interest even if it harms the country as a whole. And that means financial collapse eventually, then anarchy, then revolution.

davarino

Last person out of Wisconsin turn the lights out.

Once all the tax payers are gone they will have to start taxing each other with monopoly money.

Karl

Update: Wisconsin- Incumbent to receive 7000 votes from 1 county

tagalog

When I look at the "Pay Your Share" on the sign the demonstrator is holding up in the photo at the head of this article, it makes me think about the 48% or so of U.S. citizens who don't pay taxes at all. I'm for them paying THEIR share.

Jim_C

Could the world be returning to a degree of normalcy? As the people of Wisconsin return to their senses, Glenn Beck and Keith Olberman are both off the airwaves, and even conservatives are finally admitting Sarah Palin is a moron, could there be a semblance of sanity returning? Do I actually detect a bit of George Will in Ann Coulter?

Chris Nichols

Yes, it makes perfect sense for people who work in the private sector and actually produce things to continue to fund the useless make work jobs and pensions of people who produce nothing. Someone who can't do basic math shouldn't call someone else a moron. And Glenn Beck is not off the airwaves.

Jim_C

Who can't do basic math?

And your thoughts on "production" are just oh so precious. I'm sure you're quite the "producer."

GKC

Careful Chris, he's probably a union button-pusher.

Dennis X

Hello, government employees PAY TAXES!!!!! They pay for their health care and contribute toward their pensions. The exceptions are police and fire fighters. A days work for a days pay is not a hand out!!!! Steal my pension and say good bye to my property and state taxes.

MKS

The WS legislation favored by Gov. Walker would steal no one's pension. It would not bust any union. It would not even prohibit collective bargaining over wages and salaries.

It would merely prohibit collective bargaining over benefits, to reduce the crony conflict-of-interest collusion that now takes place over and over again between union leaders and (mostly Democratic) politicians.

It is good and reasonable law. Its only shortcoming is that it does not go far enough. Public sector unions should not have collective bargaining rights at all – even FDR and George Meany (AFL-CIO) stated that principle.

Jim_C

It was a transparent political hit job, not an appeal to fiscal good sense and certainly not something that would improve education. Even if it was as sensible as you claim, all one had to do was turn on Fox News or talk radio to hear the uninformed contempt for teachers.

Walker stepped in it by swinging for the fences. I thought it was a really good move at first, because the teachers caved immediately on pension contributions et al. I think Walker felt there was more support than there actually was. Even his deal with police and fire unions fell apart when his political intentions became clear.

http://newmediaage.shugartmedia.com/NewMediaWorld/ Tar_n_Feathers

Now that govt. entitlements have spanned several generations, I fear that there are an alarming number of Americans that believe that merely by virtue of being a citizen (and in some cases merely being within US borders) that the govt. owes you stuff. It's almost as if the mindset has become genetic. Bad habits are hard enough to break without having to deal with those that are hard-wired into one's DNA. We're in trouble if liberal dems have devolved into their own species. You may as well be arguing with a dog to stop being a dog.

Karl

Hello from Canada,

Here's how we pay for everything up here up here, wait for it… WE TAX EVERYONE, ON EVERYTHING. We've had 4-5 dollar a gallon gas for 10 years, and we send the U.S. 1.1 million barrels a day. So let me tell ya, our medical is NOT FREE!!! Do ya hear me Bernie Sanders, you pansy, progressive putz!